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Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Holds “Wall Breaking” for its First Leadership Center in Newark, at 375 McCarter Highway
Media Contact:
Debra Rutt
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey
drutt@gshnj.org
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Holds “Wall Breaking” for its
First Leadership Center in Newark, at 375 McCarter Highway
Portion of Paramount Assets’ Office Building To Be Transformed Into Programs and Events Hub, Serving 13,000 Local Girl Scouts and Enhancing Accessibility for the Newark Community
NEWARK, N.J. (July 1, 2024) – Paramount Assets, a real estate firm known for its restorations of underutilized, historic buildings and urban redevelopment projects, hosted a June 27 “wall breaking” and ceremonial lease-signing event, signifying the start of construction for the new Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) Leadership Center at its 375 McCarter Highway building.
Spanning 5,436 square feet, the Girl Scout Leadership Center in Newark embodies GSHNJ’s commitment to investing in the future of girls and the community. This facility will serve as a vibrant hub for the region’s 13,000 current Girl Scouts and 9,000 adult volunteers, offering a diverse range of programs and events. Additionally, it will provide tailored services to meet the unique needs of local girls and families.
Attending the wall-breaking event and providing remarks or supporting the facility’s importance to the community were:
- GSHNJ CEO Natasha Hemmings and Board Chair Dr. Naima Ricks
- City of Newark Council President and Congressional Candidate CD-10 – Councilwoman LaMonica McIver
- Newark East Ward Council Member Michael J. Silva
- Kaitlin McGuinness, Senior Projects Specialist with Senator Cory Booker's office
The ground-level facility will feature substantial program, administrative, storage, and street access retail space, along with basic kitchen facilities, internal restrooms, ample parking, and 24x7 security. The exterior signage will include a community-oriented Girl Scouts-branded mural created by a local Newark artist, enhancing the center's integration within the local cultural fabric.
"Newark was the ideal choice for our first-ever Girl Scout Leadership Center due to its strategic location, dynamic growth, and vibrant diversity, which embody the multicultural ethos that Girl Scouts aim to promote,” said Hemmings of Westfield, N.J.-based GSHNJ. “This expansion allows us to bring Girl Scouts to girls who may not have had access before, as well as to better serve our current membership of Girl Scouts, offering innovative and equitable access in a safe, supportive space.
“Newark's unique combination of economic vitality, cultural richness, and progressive spirit creates an exceptional environment for GSHNJ to thrive,” Hemmings added. “We are immensely grateful to our board, donors, Paramount Assets, state representatives, and the City of Newark for their warm welcome and unwavering support in helping to make this vision a reality.”
Wall Breaking Marks Start of Construction
To signal the wall breaking, leadership of GSHNJ joined the Paramount Assets executive team in swinging hammers to break holes in the walls of the to-be-renovated space. This represented the start of improvements, which are expected to conclude in the fall of 2024.
The 375 McCarter Highway building, built in 1979 and renovated in 2024, is well located, fronting both McCarter Highway and Broad Street. The 151,032-square-foot, ADA-compliant property has convenient and quick access to Route 21 and U.S. 1&9, and is located three-quarters of a mile from Route 78, just over a mile to Newark Penn Station, and less than two miles from Route 280. The building is also adjacent to a major bus route that runs every 20 to 60 minutes, seven days a week.
Leadership Center to Serve Growth of Girl Scouts
The Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Leadership Center in Newark will stand out from other local programs for girls by empowering them to lead their own experiences in a supportive all-girl environment, offering activities like clinics, trips, cultural exchanges, community service projects, and environmental stewardship. GSHNJ notes this unique approach helps girls develop their full individual potential; relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; and develop values that guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making.
Additionally, GSHNJ emphasizes that Girl Scouts fosters leadership skills and cooperation, encouraging girls to contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities and teamwork, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
“The region’s Girl Scouts will soon have an exciting, new facility that will provide them with a nearby place to meet, learn, and hold memorable events,” said Richard Dunn, Senior V.P. of Paramount Assets. “This new Leadership Center will serve their current members and leaders, but more importantly grow their involvement in the Newark community and bring their programs to larger numbers of girls.”
Paramount’s 375 McCarter Highway building is an office property near the southern gateway to Newark. The building – highlighted by its distinctive, gold-colored reflective windows – hosts a prestigious roster of high-profile tenants including Dash Mart by DoorDash NJ, State of N.J. offices, E-ZPass, Gopuff, Newark Downtown District, Newark One-Stop Career Center, and Concentra Urgent Care.
About Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) believes in the power of every girl. Our leadership program is designed to help a girl discover who she is, what she can do, and connects her with a powerful community of girls and mentors to make it happen. With unique opportunities, Girl Scouts explore, learn, succeed and take action to make a difference in their community. Providing over 13,000 New Jersey girls access to premier leadership programs and mentors throughout Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, southern Warren, and parts of Middlesex counties, GSHNJ offers girls a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership. GSHNJ has two service centers located in North Branch and Westfield and operates three summer camps: Camp Hoover in Middleville, N.J., Camp DeWitt in Hillsborough, N.J., and The OVAL in Maplewood, N.J. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, please visit www.gshnj.org
On June 27, leadership of the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey and several Girl Scouts joined executives of Paramount Assets at a “wall breaking” ceremony at the developer’s 375 McCarter Highway building in Newark. The event signified the start of construction of the Girl Scouts’ new Leadership Center, which will provide programs, events, and services to the Girl Scout community in the Newark area.
June 27, 2024
